The Montreal Canadiens are the most storied franchise in hockey history. As such, they have seen hundreds of players pass through the organization over its storied history. This includes NHL stars, Hall of Fame players, and many memorable characters. In this series, Remembering Former Habs, we will take a look at some of the more unheralded players that have passed through the organization over recent years. In doing so we aim to preserve their history and remember some of the former Habs.
Nicknamed “The Dutch Gretzky” for his stint in the Netherlands during the NHL lockout, Dale Weise became a fan favourite during his time with the Montreal Canadiens. In this edition of Remembering Former Habs, we will take a look at the career of retired NHL veteran Dale Weise. Weise played for the Canadiens from 2013-16 as well as a brief return stint from 2018-2020.
Dale Weise
Habs Tenure
Dale Weise joined the Montreal Canadiens in the 2013-14 campaign after acquiring him from the Vancouver Canucks for defenceman Raphael Diaz. Weise, a lifelong Habs fan was excited by the prospect of playing for his favourite franchise. He played with the Canadiens until the 2015-16 season. On February 26, 2016, Weise was packaged with fellow veteran Tomas Fleischmann to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Phillip Danault and a second-round pick. The pick was eventually used on defenceman Alexander Romanov.
The Canadiens would later reacquire Weise from the Philadelphia Flyers three years later. Weise and Christian Folin were acquired in 2019 for David Schlemko and Byron Froese. His second Habs tenure was short-lived, however. Weise bounced around from the main club to the Laval Rocket and wasn’t resigned following the 2019-20 season. During his Canadiens tenure, Weise amassed 64 points in 184 games, as well as ten points in 33 playoff games for the club.
Memorable Moments for Rugged Dale Weise
Weise won’t be remembered for his high-end offensive skills. However, he will be remembered for playing the game the right way and leaving it all on the ice. Weise was capable of playing physically and dropping the mitts but also provided key goals for the team. This was especially true during his playoff runs with the Canadiens which featured several memorable moments for Canadiens fans even today. Weise’s playoff heroics helped the team reach the Conference Finals in 2014 before being ousted by the New York Rangers.
Weise became known as a clutch player in the playoffs scoring several key goals for the team in the 2014 and 2015 runs. This includes overtime winners in the first rounds against both the Tampa Bay Lightning and Ottawa Senators. The overtime winner vs the Lightning off a feed from Daniel Briere is probably his most iconic moment. Weise also scored a game seven goal against the Bruins off a Briere Feed as well. Fans also aren’t soon to forget Weise’s iconic rivalry with Milan Lucic in that 2014 playoff run. This rivalry boiled over and saw Lucic threaten him in the handshake line post-series.
Post Habs Tenure
Now 35 years old, Weise has retired from professional hockey. After his final Habs stint, he went on to create the Habs Tonight podcast before having a brief stint with Oskarshaam IK in the Swedish League. Weise now lives in his hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba with his wife Lauren Weise and their four children. Weise now focuses on his family life as well as diving into the world of business. Dale Weise was a fan favourite during his time with the Montreal Canadiens. His ability to come up clutch come playoff time will not soon be forgotten. Safe to say that Dale Weise is one former Hab who will be remembered.
Main photo: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
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